Standing Arrangement
by Chicken Nuggets
Summary: Conrad muses over a situation while criticising it.


**Characters:** Conrad, Doc Worth  
**Summary:** It's dinner Jim, but not as we know it.  
**Rating:** PG for language.  
**Notes:** I really fuckin' love chia bread, and the thought of Worth calling it 'yuppy crap' came to mind whilst enjoying some.

*

"An' wot the 'ell do'ya call this?"

Conrad sighed, looking up from his MacBook to the occupant of the seat opposite him. "It's chia bread, Worth, it's good for you." He said in a bored monotone.

Conrad had found himself burdened with Worth's cheerful company ever since Worth had spied out Conrad's favourite late night cafe, and managed to work out when he'd most likely be there; Knowing a meal-ticket when he saw one Worth had quickly stopped giving Conrad crap over wasting his money on food and drink when he realised he could mooch it.

"Sounds like yuppy crap t'me." Worth intoned, whilst pulling apart the club sandwich Conrad had bought. "What's this?" He asked holding up a piece of frilly lettuce.

"It's coral lettuce. It's also good for you." Conrad grumbled pausing from his work to look at Worth picking apart what he used find a very delicious sandwich.

"Could you just shut up and eat the damn thing instead of picking it apart?" Conrad more demanded than asked as he turned back to his work.

"Yes mum." Worth took a deliberate bite out of his massacred sandwich which now just contained chicken and bacon.

"You know, it won't bloody kill you to eat the salad stuff." Conrad didn't even have to look up to know that Worth had removed all traces of anything of the vegetable variety; This had become a very well known scrip in Conrad's life.

It wasn't like Conrad had tonnes of money to spare, granted he was more comfortable than others, but that was really down to profession, and he was glad the food and drink wouldn't go to waste; Starving children in Africa and all that as his Mother used to say when he tried to get away with not eating Brussels sprouts.

It was just sometimes he wished Worth was a little more grateful, like Hanna always was, instead of being the lecherous bum he was; Given how thin and strung out the man was Conrad wasn't even sure if Worth even ate anything else other than whatever he had bought for him which made him wonder what Worth did before he started eating off Conrad's plate.

"I'm a grown man, I can eat whatever I fuckin' well like," Worth grumbled with his mouthful. "Hmm. You know this chia crap ain't half bad." Worth spat tiny bits of masticated bread while he spoke, Conrad scowled watching where the bits of food landed.

"That's fucking disgusting." He sneered, using a napkin to wipe foodbits away from anywhere near his stuff; Conrad's sense of manners still managed to feel violated by Worth's lack of any, and he would still argue the merits of having some every night they met.

And yet still, he comes here, orders something for Worth to eat when he shows up - because he always does, and finds himself making the same critical disparaging comments his own Mother makes when she sees him.

As loath as he was to admit it Conrad would prefer to not see the back alley Doctor die from malnourishment, but he wasn't really sure how keen he was on said Doctor's continual survival either. Still he felt bad for Worth when he looked at his thin hunched frame which was probably why he didn't put up more of a fuss when Worth started joining him for an hour or two each night. He wondered if it looked as odd to the staff as he thought it did; A young trendy guy, and an old dishevelled grump who always looked worse for wear. Then again looking around the darkened atmosphere at the stoners out for munchies and mid-week revellers, they were both at home in this place. Besides Conrad kind of liked the bickering.

"Thanks fer th' dinner, Fangula." Worth grunted as he scrapped back his chair to leave.

Agitated by the purposefully derogatory name Conrad almost overlooked the fact that Worth had thanked him; Hell must have frozen over.

"Uh, your welcome." Conrad floundered, being polite to Worth was unfamiliar. "Look, before you go. I've got a few client meetings tomorrow so I might be late coming here. Uhm, just so you know."

"Feh, like I give a rats arse if you're coming or going." Worth offhanded as he shrugged on his coat.

"I was just letting you fucking know. Jeeze." Conrad bit off as he watched Worth begin to leave. "It's just common courtesy. See if I'm ever nice to you again."

Conrad to too irate at the flippant way Worth treated him to bother being concerned with the fact that dinner with Worth had somehow become a standing arrangement.


End file.
